Argo animation

The Argo stop-motion animation aims to inspire children (and adults) to engage with marine science. It is quirky, fun and informative at the same time. The animation explains what an Argo float is, how it operates and how all this data helps us to understand the ocean circulation and climate.

Oceanographers have deployed more than 3500 robotic profiling floats into the global oceans as part of the international Argo program over the past 15 years. Argo floats measure water properties such as temperature, salinity and pressure from the surface to a depth of two kilometres. Floats can change their buoyancy by pumping oil into and out of an external bladder, which allows them to sink, drift with the ocean currents and measure data as they rise to the surface. The floats send their data and location back to processing centres on land via the satellite network. Each float repeats this cycle every 10 days and can drift in the oceans measuring data for as long as 4 to 7 years.

If you would like to watch this movie in full screen mode please click on the full-screen icon at the bottom right of the animation. To change the resolution to high-definition, once you have started the movie with the play button click on the wheel icon (3rd from right at the bottom right of the animation) and select 720p.